All We Want for Christmas… part two

We know. It’s tough to beat Michael Buble’s holiday list. But, beyond true love, happy families, and happy ever afters for all, there are a few other things AAR staffers would love to give or get.  (And, again, we thank you for using our links to Amazon.  We are able to stay online by the money we make on our affiliate links and we are beyond grateful when you use them!) Happy holidays!

Chiachi:

Nixplay makes the best digital picture frames. Over the years I’ve found digital picture frames to be the perfect gift for a loved one. You can personalize it by pre-loading it with your favorite pictures (grandparents love getting pictures of their grandkids!) and the built-in wi-fi allows you to easily send pictures using a mobile app or email. The $140 sticker price a little too much?  Here’s a more affordable model if you can live without the built-in wi-fi.

I bought an Echo during one of the sales. Putting it on the kitchen counter was one of my best ideas because everyone can use it. Visitors can use it. Even my parents could figure out how to use it. My mother has a hard time learning to use her phone, tablets, and the computer. She’s always afraid she will do something “wrong” and “mess it up.” But she’s not afraid to go up to the Echo and say “Alexa, play Julio Iglesias.” There was some trouble getting Alexa’s name right at first — just like in that SNL sketch. Then I wrote “ALEXA” in big letters on a piece of paper and placed it front of the unit, and that helped a great deal. It also helps that I can sneak up and say “Alexa, play Bathory” — and then wait for my parents’ response!

Sometimes I like to let my inner nerd out, and this is about as nerdy as you can get. I would own this already, but the Kindle edition is $40.99. (The hardcover is just over 50.00.) Then again, at over 800 pages, it comes to about a nickel a page. I discovered old time radio thanks to a radio show called The Big Broadcast that replayed classic episodes. There’s nothing like driving down a dark road and wondering how the characters will survive this adventure. Or will they survive? Part of the fun is hearing famous actors voicing tons of different characters. Did you know that both Gunsmoke and Dragnet were radio shows before they made it to TV? And William Conrad played Matt DIllon on the radio! Did you know that Oscar nominee Richard Widmark used to play in a radio comedy called Ethel and Albert? Did you know that Boris Karloff played a number of characters (both good and evil) on Inner Sanctum? Someday I will just cave in and buy this, no matter what the price. Or maybe I’ll spring for the out of print hardback.

Caroline:

I want the board game Ticket to Ride! It’s incredibly fun and unlike any other game I’ve played. Your goal is to build railroads between destinations, with bonus points for certain routes and length/difficulty. I played it with a group of middle school students and we all had a blast, so anybody looking for something to do with preteens (it’s a hard age, I know!) should give this a try.

Also, I got it last year, but if you haven’t played Set, you’re missing out. A card game-slash-mathematical logic puzzle, it’s a great group activity for elementary schoolers all the way up.

The Home Cook by Alex Guarnaschelli